(Originally published in The Writer magazine in March, 2001.)

You can have access to the best writing teachers in the world without ever signing up for a class. During past years I have learned about believing in your dreams from Jacquelyn Mitchard, and what it’s like to immerse yourself in another era from Margaret Atwood. Ray Bradbury exhorted me to stretch my imagination and look always for the metaphor. Jane Hamilton talked calmly about confidence, and Scott Turow weighed in on luck vs. talent. I have learned that passion must ignite your work from Isabel Allende. And John Updike… Well, John Updike just had to stand there reading a poem, and you felt inspired to write twenty poems yourself.

Do I have access to a special university program that somehow attracts only the biggest and brightest names in publishing? Did I have to pay thousands of dollars to attend conferences where these authors were guest speakers?

The answer to both these questions is “no.” I do, however, scour the book review sections of local publications and websites to see what author events are upcoming. Most of the events that featured the authors I mentioned, and other well-known writers were free – usually readings and question-and-answer sessions in book stores. The author events that did charge admission were usually fundraisers for local library districts, museums and other cultural institutions, so if you did spring for a ticket you felt like you were doing something worthwhile. Continue reading →

(Originally appeared in the Tishman Review on 8/28/2015. You can link from my Published Works page or read here.)

It struck me one day, when I was in the midst of scribbling notes during a lecture about writing, that I was learning as much about the teaching of writing as I was about the actual act of writing.  And since many, if not most, writers will find themselves in the role of teacher – whether as an actual job or just giving advice to another writer – it also struck me that there is a nice symmetry to the process.  A give and take that is worth thinking about and looking at a little further.  These are some of the things I have learned during my life as both a student and a teacher of writing:

You can have opinions.  I used to think that a teacher should be neutral and present a balanced view of any information he or she is imparting.  But now I believe that the best teachers do have a point of view, and will back up that point of view with concrete examples from their own experiences both as a reader and writer.  Be aware though of the fine line between being confident and being strident and intimidating.  As a teacher of writing you may have some hard and fast rules about writing, but you should also encourage students to experiment with new forms for their work, and the classroom or workshop should be considered a safe place to stretch one’s writing muscles.

The most effective lectures or presentations are ones where the teacher has really thought through and organized the material he or she wants to present.  One of the best lectures on writing I ever attended was a craft seminar with the rather loosey-goosey title: “Some stuff that will make narrative writing easier, and some stuff that will make it far more difficult.”  But the instructor had well-organized pages of printed notes that he presented to the audience in a fast-paced, organized, and coherent manner that had us hanging on (and copying down) every word. Continue reading →